As the only child of a disabled elderly adult--and as someone who has her own autoimmune disease, I have spent a fair amount of time in doctor's office waiting rooms over the last few years.
On those days--and assuming that the topic of the appointment is age-appropriate, I take our homeschool kiddo with me. This gives him a glimpse into the role of caretaking without placing burdensome expectations upon him. More often than not, we bring along or encounter a hidden lesson tucked into our shared experience. For instance, I've noticed in the time that we've accompanied my wheelchair-bound mother places, he's become more sensitive to and respectful of the physical limitations of others.
Homeschooling "on the road" works well for us. We're eclectic homeschoolers which means that we're fairly free-wheeling about our schedule. Lately we've become fond of educational iPad apps, which are highly portable by nature. We also "carschool" a fair amount, discussing ideas, experiences, Minecraft, and listening to French and Spanish language CDs in our commute.
We regularly bump into other homeschool families while at appointments as well as during the course of our everyday errands. (Our community has so many homeschoolers in it that I've joked on occasion that we are incubating the idea of "mainstream homeschooling" here in Central Texas.)
Just because we homeschoolers live in the same place doesn't mean that we all have the same approach. Many families here are strict traditionalists who utilize workbooks heavily; I call them "traditionalists" because they largely model their school days after traditional public/private school models. Yet they can be as mobile as they need to be, too. When we've encountered them "out and about," their kids often use a rolling carry-on bag, small suitcase, or backpack to transport items. One parent I know drives her children to the park and has them finish their lessons prior to play-time! Other parents find that "getting the wiggles out" in a park, followed by a light snack, is the perfect way to prep for school en plein air.
A person's comfort level with mobile homeschooling, while tied in part to one's teaching/learning style, grows through practice. Basically, the more you do it as a family, the more comfortable you become with it.
The Takeaway
Homeschooling is as portable as you need it to be and can be interwoven into your day to the extent that you're willing to allow it.
Disclosure: This post contains a link to my Amazon.com store, through which I receive a small compensation when items are purchased.
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